where are you going, where have you been?

bare arms

Sometimes when I see the bare arms of trees in the evening
I think of men who have died without love,
Of desolation and space between branch and branch.
I think of immovable whiteness and lean coldness and fear
And the terrible longing between people stretched apart as these branches
And the cold space between.
I think of the vastness and courage between this step and that step,
Of the yearning and the fear of the meeting, of the terrible desire held apart.
I think of the ocean of longing that moves between land and land
And between people, the space and ocean.
The bare arms of the trees are immovable, without the play of leaves, without the sound of wind;
I think of the unseen love and the unknown thoughts that exist between tree and tree,
As I pass these things in the evening, as I walk.

I love the softness of this image and the sheer beauty of a naked tree. I was interested to read what John Tagliabue had to say about the ‘bare arms of trees in the evening’ although I feel so many opposite things to him when I observe the bare branches trees in the winter months!

I love this beautiful image but I am glad I don’t think of the things in the poem when I see the bare arms of a tree. I was listening to the deep and beautiful sound of the wind blowing through the bare arms of a particular tree just a couple of days ago and I thought it was wonderful and so different to that made when the tree is clothed in leaves – which, of course, is also beautiful.

Such a beautiful delicate picture!! And I love that poem too – very inspiring! I’ve just entered a short story into a competition on a writers website all about a tree, so this post is a wonderful coincidence! 😀

your winter looks so incredibly beautiful, what truly amazing photographs. As always I am blown away by your talent! have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and look forward to seeing more pictures in 2014